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DOP Teruel Ham: 3 pairing proposals that will captivate your palate.

The pairing of Teruel ham is a gastronomic marvel, not only for experts, but for everyone (curious) willing to enter into a world of aromas, nuances, textures and a very pleasant sensory experience. It is therefore about finding the best combinations based on the organoleptic properties that are present, in this case, in our natural ham and in the drink, in order to enjoy them to the fullest.

“Red with red meats and white for fish”, usually the “experts” say, but this proposal is violated more and more, by fashions, by age or personal tastes. Teruel ham does not marry with anyone, so we propose 3 original pairings.

What is the perfect companion for Teruel Ham?

We will take into account that to carry out a good pairing, the quality of the drink must be equal to ham one; there is a balance between aromas and flavors, thus enhancing each other.

CAVA

The pairing with cava is today a world to discover, there are many denominations of origin and types of cava in Spain, are classified according to the grape varieties with which it is made, which are mainly Chardonnay, Meunier, and Pinot Noir. Usually experts consider the combination of champagne with seafood; in Pastor, due to the proximity and quality, we serve in our restaurant, especially on Christmas days, with white and rosé cavas from the DO. Requena Utiel, thus creating a perfect fusion between bubbles with an unctuous texture of the fat of our Teruel ham.

BEER

In general beer combines very well with all the pork meat, highlighting the binomial beer and chorizo. As far as the ham is concerned, we will point out that the bitterness of the beer perfectly matches the intensity of the fat. It will be the lightest beers (lager) that will best pair with our natural ham; however, we will opt for a craft beer from our land, Aragón, considered in 2017 as the best craft beer in Spain, whose name is Rondadora.

WINE

Due to the large number of quality wines made in Spain, it makes it the ideal companion for Teruel ham. Experts indicate that they should not be too strong (reserve and large reserve) those that accompany our natural ham. Considering this way the young wines and “crianzas” would be the most appropriate to taste of this gastronomic delight. In our restaurant, in Rubielos de Mora, we have a wide range of red wines, especially from DO. Somontano, with which to enjoy our Teruel ham.

It is also increasingly common to see the marriage with white wines, a tendency contrary to the rules or tradition, however the pairing with this type of wine should be with dry wines so that its acidity intensifies the flavor of ham; never fruity wines that mask the flavor of the ham.